MALKY: UNITY WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS

27 April 2013

Oliver Roderick

After witnessing his side lift the nPower Championship winners’ trophy following the 1-1 draw with Bolton Wanderers at Cardiff City Stadium, a proud Malky Mackay offered his thoughts on his team’s success this season.

“To win promotion against Charlton was fantastic,” Malky started. "To win the title at Burnley last weekend was great, but to actually lift the trophy in front on 27,000 people here is something that will live with me forever. The club is as inclusive now as it was two years ago when I first arrived, and that is something I have preached: making sure that everybody feels a part of the club, from the fans to staff to their families, because they have all sacrificed a lot.

“Two years ago when I had put my plan to come here in place and asked people to come with me, they came and I’m delighted for them. This club has been through a lot of emotions over the last few years and you can look from the directors to the fans: it means an awful lot to Cardiff City as a whole and it’s just a sense of pride for me that everyone in this city was pulling together for ninety-nine per cent of the time this season. When that happens, titles are won.

“As a manager, there’s the weight of expectation of a City on you, and today is something that will live with me forever. People questioned what the point was of going out and performing today, and the point was the integrity of the league: that’s something we respect an awful lot. Bolton were obviously going to try to win today – they needed it to make the play-offs, so we knew it was going to be a tough game. 27,000 people have come here today for a party, but I knew my team would not just lie down and let a pre-season calibre game happen. It’s about proving why you’re the champions in front of your home crowd and I thought we were tremendous at times today. We missed two from a yard and in the second half especially I thought we were exceptional.”

Cardiff’s forty-sixth and final nPower Championship fixture is at the KC Stadium against Hull City next weekend, and Malky is already looking forward to that encounter.

“Even more rides on next weekend now, and it’s good that we’re not playing a side [in Hull City] who are not mid-table, making the match a pre-season sort of game," the Gaffer added. "It shows what this league is like: every year it goes right to the wire.

"With Hull losing today, Watford could change places with them next week if we were to get something at Hull and Watford were to win. It means an awful lot as far as the league is concerned, and we are involved in that which is great.”